No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.This case report describes a combined neurosurgical and endovascular approach for the treatment of a conus medullaris arteriovenous malformation resulting in considerable improvement in the patient's neurological condition (modified Rankin Scale score 2). © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Repeated alcohol experiences can produce long-lasting memories for sensory cues associated with intoxication. These memories can problematically trigger relapse in individuals recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/harmine.html The molecular mechanisms by which ethanol changes memories to become long-lasting and inflexible remain unclear. New methods to analyze gene expression within precise neuronal cell-types can provide further insight towards AUD prevention and treatment. Here, we used genetic tools in Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the lasting consequences of ethanol on transcription in memory-encoding neurons. Drosophila rely on mushroom body (MB) neurons to make associative memories, including memories of ethanol-associated sensory cues. Differential expression analyses revealed that distinct transcripts, but not genes, in the MB were associated with experiencing ethanol alone compared to forming a memory of an odor cue associated with ethanol. Adult MB specific knockdown of spliceosome-associated proteins demonstrated the necessity of RNA processing in ethanol memory formation. These findings highlight the dynamic, context-specific regulation of transcription in cue-encoding neurons, and the lasting impact of ethanol on transcript usage during memory formation. Copyright © 2020, Genetics.Age-at-onset (AAO) is one of the critical traits in cohort studies of age-related diseases. Large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of AAO traits can provide more insights into genetic effects on disease progression and transitions between stages. Moreover, proportional hazards (or Cox) regression models can achieve higher statistical power in a cohort study than a case-control trait using logistic regression. Although mixed-effects models are widely used in GWAS to correct for sample dependence, application of Cox mixed-effects models (CMEMs) to large-scale GWAS is so far hindered by intractable computational cost. In this work, we propose COXMEG, an efficient R package for conducting GWAS of AAO traits using CMEMs. COXMEG introduces fast estimation algorithms for general sparse relatedness matrices including but not limited to block-diagonal pedigree-based matrices. COXMEG also introduces a fast and powerful score test for dense relatedness matrices, accounting for both population stratification significantly reduced the hazards of AD in both genders. These results demonstrated that COXMEG greatly facilitates the application of CMEMs in GWAS of AAO traits. Copyright © 2020, Genetics.Transformations between sensory representations are shaped by neural mechanisms at the cellular and the circuit level. In the insect olfactory system encoding of odor information undergoes a transition from a dense spatio-temporal population code in the antennal lobe to a sparse code in the mushroom body. However, the exact mechanisms shaping odor representations and their role in sensory processing are incompletely identified. Here, we investigate the transformation from dense to sparse odor representations in a spiking model of the insect olfactory system, focusing on two ubiquitous neural mechanisms spike-frequency adaptation at the cellular level and lateral inhibition at the circuit level. We find that cellular adaptation is essential for sparse representations in time (temporal sparseness), while lateral inhibition regulates sparseness in the neuronal space (population sparseness). The interplay of both mechanisms shapes spatio-temporal odor representations, which are optimized for discrimination of odosponses. We found that odor identity is reliably encoded in the neurons' adaptation levels, which are mediated by spike-triggered calcium influx. Our results suggest that a prolonged odor trace is established in the calcium levels of the relevant neuronal population. This prediction has found recent experimental support in the fruit fly. Copyright © 2020 Betkiewicz et al.With trauma being a leading cause of death for children, identifying all sustained injuries remains a priority for clinicians, and imaging is a key diagnostic tool to ensure that is achieved. However, children have a greater risk of detrimental effects of ionising radiation than adults. Clinicians therefore have to balance limiting their patients' radiation exposure to 'as low as reasonably achievable' with the need for diagnostic accuracy. But what is 'reasonable' in major trauma can be confusing. This article aims to clarify the current guidance on which body part to scan and when in paediatric major trauma. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.A 12-month-old infant was referred with a 6-week history of recurrent admissions with worsening stridor. On each previous admission, the stridor responded well, but transiently, to oral dexamethasone. At this presentation, he required high-dependency unit care with high flow oxygen due to marked increased work of breathing.He was born at term, previously well, and up to date with immunisations. There was no significant family history. There were no smokers and two cats at home.He was afebrile with moderate subcostal recession and tracheal tug. On auscultation, breath sounds were normal with transmitted sounds of inspiratory and expiratory stridor. The rest of his examination was normal.He commenced dexamethasone 0.15 μg/kg three times a day, which was weaned as his clinical status improved.Blood tests showed total white cell count 9 x 10?9/L, CRP less then 1 mg/L, lactate dehydrogenase level and blood film normal. Chest radiograph showed left lung hyperexpansion and apparent right-sided bronchial narrowing (aspect. QUESTION 1 Please list four differentials for this child's mediastinal mass. QUESTION 2 Which of these approaches would be suitable at this stage?CT-guided biopsyBronchoscopic biopsyExcision biopsyWatch and wait and monitor response to steroids QUESTION 3 What is first line treatment for Mycobacterium avium complex lymphadenitis?Complete excisionClarithromycin and complete excisionClarithromycin, rifampicin, ethambutol and complete excisionIsoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol and complete excision Answers can be found on page 2. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.